Fishing reel



C.y R. LORENZ Dec. 26, 1950 FISHING REEL JNVENTOR. AZ 2. @e5/vz.

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 OFFICE FISHING REEL Carl R. Lorenz, Santa Monica, Calif. Application August 30, 1949; serial No. 113,208'` This invention relates as its general object to provide a shing reel incorporating manually operable braking means for use in retarding the unwinding of a fish line from the reel under the pull of a fish that has been caught. While I am aware that there have been prior proposals for incorporating braking mechanism in a shing reel, such prior devices have not been fully satisfactory, in that they have utilized operating buttons which require that the operators thumb or nger bein one particular position in order to operate the brak* ing mechanism. My invention contemplates the use of an operating bar extending transversely the full width of the reel, through which braking pressure may be applied from the operators thumb in any position between the two sides of the reel. Thus it becomes possible for the hand to assume a natural position in holding the rod. Although the operating bar extends the full width of the reel, the pressure is utilized at only one side of the reel, and is applied through a push rod extending through the casing at that side of the reel. To maintain the operating bar in a position parallel to the reel axis, the other end of the bar is slidably mounted upon a guide post fixed in the other side of the reel.

With the foregoing in mind, the invention has as its object to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive braking mechanism incorporating an operator .member extending the full width of the reel and having means on which the operating member is mounted for radial movement toward the axis of the reel for applying braking pressure, while being held rmly in a transverse position parallel to the reel axis.

Other objects will become apparent in the en suing specications and appended drawings in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a reel embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view thereof taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional View thereof taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

As anexample of one form in which the inven tion may be embodied, I have shown in the drawings a reel embodying casing members il and 5 connected in spaced relationship by posts 6 and having journals 'I in which is mounted, for rotation, the shaft 8 of a reel spool 9. The casing member li provides a housing for conventional gearing (not shown) through which rota tion is transmitted from the handle I D to the reel spool 9.

zclaims. (Ciara-sam" to fishing reels. It has The casing member' 5 embodies a conventional side disc i I having an annular flange I2, and also includes anfannul'ar extension frange I3 securedto the ange I2 as by 'means of screws I4. vIt will be understood'that in production, the flange members l2 and I3 may be formed' in tegrally as a single ange. The portion I3 of the ange provides additional depth in the housing 5 to accommodate the braking mechanism which will now be described. Secured to a ange of reel spool Slis a brake drum I5. An arcuate brake shoe I6 having a brake lining I'I of leather, iibre, or equivalent material, is positioned within the brake housing defined between the casing member 5 and the adjacent flange of spool 9. The inner surface of lining Il is shaped to conform to the peripheral surface of brake drum I5. Slidably mounted in a cylindrical bore I8 in nange member I3 is a push rod I9 the inner end of which is threaded into or otherwise secured to brake shoe I5. The outer end of push rod i9 is rigidly secured t0 one end of operator bar 20, the other end of which has an opening 2| slidably receiving a guide pin 22 that is mounted in casingr member 4. Encircling push rod I9 and guide pin 22 and interposed between operator bar 2o and casing members 4 and 5 respectively are a pair of coil springs 23 and 26 which yieldingly maintain the operator vbar in an outwardly projected position in which brake shoe I5 is out of contact with brake drum I5.

The reel is provided with a conventional yoke member 25 by means of which the reel may be attached to a iishing rod 26. The yoke 25 is so positioned with reference to operator bar 2!! that when it is attached to the rod 26, with handle lil on the right hand side of the rod looking toward the tip thereof, operator bar 20 will be disposed adjacent the handle of rod 25, with its push rod I 9 inclined at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the axis of the rod, whereby the operator may hold the rod handle in either hand, and, with the thumb of that hand, reach up and engage the operator bar 2D. By pressing against the bar 2t at any point along its length, push rod I9 will be moved radially inwardly, pressing brake shoe I 6, I 'l against brake drum i151. When pressure is released, springs 23,'24 will return the braking apparatus to its inoperative outwardly projected position.

I claim:

l. In a shing reel, combination with a pair of casing members and a reel spool rotatably mounted therebetween, one of said casing members having a peripheral flange and an' end wall cooperating with said spool to define a brake housing, a brake drum attached to the adjacent end of said reel spool and disposed within said housing, an arcuate brake shoe engageable with said `brake drum, a'push rod to the inner end of which said brake shoe is secured, a bearing bore in said flange in which said push rod is mounted for radially sliding movement, an operator bar rigidly attached to the outer end o1" said push rod, compressible means engaged between said flange and said bar and yieldingly maintaining said bar and brake shoe in outwardly projected positions with said brake shoe out of contact with said brake drum, a guide pin mounted in the other casing member, said bar having at its other end an opening slidably receiving said guide pin, and compressible means `yieldingly engaged between said other end of the bar and saidfother casing to maintain said bar in a position extending transversely between said casngrnembers while allowing radial movement of `the bar.

2. yIn a ishing reel, in combination with a pair of casingmem-bers and a reel spool rotatably mounted therebetween, one .of said casing members having a peripheral flange and an end wall cooperating with said spool to define a brake housing, a brake drum attached to the adjacent end of said reel spool and disposed within said housing, lan arcuate brake shoe engageable with said brake drum, a push rod to the inner end of which -said brake shoe is secured, a bearing bore in said flange in which said push rod is mounted for radially sliding movement, an operator bar rigidly attached to the outer end of said push rod, compressible means engaged between said flange and said bar and yieldingly maintaining said bar and brake shoe in outwardly projected positions with said brake shoe outof contact with said brake drum, a guide pin mounted in the other casing member, said bar having at its other end an opening slidably receiving said guide pin, and a coil spring encircling said guide pin and engaged under compression between said other end of the bar and said other casing for assisting said first mentioned coil spring in projecting ysaid bar outwardly to maintain said bar in `a position extending transversely between said casing members while allowing radial movement of the bar.

CARL R. LORENZ.

.REFERENCES CITED The following .references are of, record in the sie of this patent:

UNTIED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,237,991 Howe Apr. 8, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,987 Great Britain July 20, 1899 

